In two series of figures, ToyBiz has made the best wrestling line of all time. Jakks has never made anything that remotely touches TNA Series 2.

Here's something a little more extensive:

After integrating some leftover WCW parts into TNA Series 1, ToyBiz went with all new parts for Series 2 and the difference is staggering. I received Series 2's "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels and Shark Boy today and they are, quite simply, perfect wrestling figures.

The sculpts are outstanding. The headsculpt on Daniels is uncanny, better than the prototype. Shark Boy doesn't look like a guy in a Shark Boy mask, he looks like Shark Boy. The body sculpts are also perfect. Daniels is slim, but solid, Shark Boy is small, but a bit stocky. ToyBiz has incorporated the wrestlers' kneepads into the double-jointed knees and it works beautifully. The details are there too. Shark Boy has laces sculpted into the back of his mask, the symbol on Daniels left thigh is raised.

Then there's the paint. Guess what, it's perfect too. Everything's crisp and they both have their tattoos. The gromits on Daniels's boots are all painted, for God's sake. So are the laces on Shark Boy's boots. The paint on Daniels's robe is also outstanding, with the entire back covered in pattern and a large ankh.

Both figures have Marvel Legends level articulation, 33 points each. Because of the tough, solid plastic ToyBiz uses for these figures (one of the very best things about them), there's not an ounce of joint looseless or flop. Both figures are tight with satifying heft.

Did I mention no one in Series 2 or the just-released 2-Packs has an action feature?

There is one problem with these figures, but even there there's a silver lining. Because all the parts are new, the Series 2 figures are in a smaller scale than their Series 1 counterparts. Jeff Jarrett, A.J. Styles and Raven all use slightly chunky, clunky legs and heads because of their holdover WCW torsos. The Series 2 figures have much more realistc anatomies. As a result, Jarrett, Styles and, to a slightly lesser extent, Raven, look too big next to Daniels and Shark Boy.

Abyss, though he uses an old WCW Hulk Hogan torso, is new everywhere else, so he fits in with the Series 2 figures. Besides, he's supposed to be bigger. The size difference between Abyss and Shark Boy is huge.

That's one silver lining, here's the other.

The remaining two figures in Series 2 (Jeff Hardy and Ron Killings) and everyone from the 2-packs are in the all-new parts, action featureless style. So there are already nine characters in the new, better style, which means all we need are resculpts of Styles, Jarrett and Raven to fix the scale problem. If the line lasts another year, I've no doubt we'll get them.

Another scale plus is the newer figures, though a bit smaller, are still in excellent scale with the old ToyBiz WCWs. I have Shane Douglas and Roddy Piper standing among Daniels, Shark Boy and Abyss right now and they look great.

AnOTHER scale plus is the NWA World Heavyweight Championship Belt. It was made to fit the Jarrett figure, but it's too small to go around Raven's waist. However, it would have no trouble fitting the Series 2 or 2-pack figures, should the need ever arise.

So, there you go. These figures are exceptional. They put Jakks's WWE line to shame. ToyBiz has one of the lines of the year on their hands, and they haven't even found their way to retail yet. Hopefully, that will change soon.

You mentioned the size difference between Series 2 & 1, sounds OK, because all of series 2 wrestlers are shorties. I've watched Shark Boy perform numerous times at Indy shows and the dude can't be over 5'10"His 'Dean Baldwin' alter ego character is great also!

Now about your Jakks comments..."puts Jakks to shame" hmmm, to each his own I guess(Let's see who's still around in a year!)

"Cookie cutter" figures (I assume you mean reusing body sculpts) is hardly exclusive to WWE. TNA figures reuse sculpts as well, and if the line survives, I bet will do so very often.

That said, I think BOTH feds have an awful product, neither knows what fans really want these days, nor are they willing to give it to us even if they knew.

Lots of things go into an organization succeeding. WWF in 1984-5 was not tops in 'in-ring' product, but it successfully buried all it's competition until Bischoff's NWO angle hit. It takes many facets clicking to be successful, and I don't see NWA:TNA clicking on anything other than the X-Division.

Of course, that's just my opinion.

And of course, I think Toybiz had a few (very few) good WCW figures (Powerbomb Nash, Jericho liontamer, the sunglassesless Bret Hart, the Sting Evolution set) but I'll just leave you with this thought: